because life is short ...and God gave us steak

Grilled Welsh Rarebit with Crab Salad

When I was in 7th grade home ec class, we made Welsh Rarebit, and a pretty disgusting version of it too. It was essentially melted Velveeta over toast – BLECH! Real Welsh Rarebit is actually a delicious cheese sauce spooned over toast. In my recipe here, I wanted to try a twist on Welsh Rarebit, so I made a grilled Crab Salad sandwich to go with a traditional Welsh Rarebit sauce. Good Lord it’s YUMMY!! The onion and bell pepper give a little crunch, as does the toasty pumpernickel bread, and crab goes great with this sauce. Also, my sauce is all grown up with stout beer, whole grain mustard, and Worcestershire. YUM!

Grilled Welsh Rarebit with Crab Salad

4 slices pumpernickel bread

olive oil cooking spray

Crab Salad:

8oz lump crabmeat

1/4 c light mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s Canola mayo)

1 t whole grain mustard

pinch kosher salt

pinch Old Bay seasoning

pinch fresh cracked pepper

2 T green bell pepper, chopped

2 T green onion, chopped

Welsh Rarebit Sauce:

1 T unsalted butter

1 T all purpose flour

1 c milk

1 c shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 c stout beer (such as Guinness or Shiner Bock)

4 sprinkles Worcestershire

1/2 t kosher salt

1 t whole grain mustard

In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the Crab Salad and toss together. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and flour over medium-high heat. Whisk together to form a roux and cook 1 minute. Add the milk, and cook, whisking, until thickened (~2 minutes). Set heat to low, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth (~2 minutes). Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove from the heat.

To make the sandwiches, heat a large, nonstick saute pan on medium-high heat. Take 2 bread slices and divide the Crab Salad on them, then top with the other 2 slices to make 2 sandwiches. Spray the heated pan and both sides of the sandwiches with cooking spray. Put the sandwiches in the pan and toast lightly. Flip and toast the other side. Serve with the sauce spooned over. Serves 2.

Note: If you want to scale it up to serve 4 or 6, double or triple the Crab Salad and sandwiches accordingly. However, this recipe makes enough sauce as is.

Welcome! I'm Erica ...wife, mother, and scientist, passionate about triathlons and pizza. Join me on my quest to enjoy all things food - both healthy and indulgent. After all, life is about balance right?